Turkish Prayer 1361

An exceptional late 19th century Anatolian Turkish village rug in the traditional prayer Mihrab design, masterfully handwoven with organic vegetable-dyed wool of great fineness and quality. The serene pale yellow-green central field features a graceful two-column composition — a rare and beautiful variant of the standard Mihrab format, symbolizing the paired pillars of the prayer niche in Islamic architecture.

Delicate accents in soft blue, rose pink, and earthy reds complete the field, complemented by a pale ivory geometric border of restrained elegance. This rug is equally stunning as a floor covering or as a wall-hung textile — its modest scale and vertical orientation making it a natural candidate for display, where its spiritual symbolism and refined artistry can be fully appreciated. The Anatolian prayer rug tradition is one of the most ancient and spiritually resonant in the entire textile world. The mihrab — the arched niche that orients the rug toward Mecca — gives these rugs their distinctive directional quality and their connection to the devotional life of Islam. Village prayer rugs of the 19th and early 20th century are among the most personal and expressive textiles ever made, each a unique expression of the individual weaver's artistic sensibility within a form of deep religious significance.

Dimensions: 3' 7" x 4' 3"

Date of Manufacture: 1st Quarter of the 1900s

Place of Origin: Anatolia (Turkey)

Material: Wool pile on a wool foundation with vegetable dyes

Condition: Wear consistent with age and use

SKU: 1361